A releasable electrical connector which finds considerable use both for domestic and defense purposes, a well as in the space environment, consists of a plug and receptacle which are releasably secured together to interconnect pairs of cable wires by relative rotation of the connector parts. Quite frequently the receptacle will be fixedly mounted to a wall or panel and the plug is related to the receptacle by rotating a locking ring carried by the plug part to draw the plug and receptacle together or apart, depending upon the direction of rotation. In this situation an individual standing closely adjacent the connector parts, upon rotating the connector ring, will normally present a reaction force via his body into the floor upon which he stands. Although this may be negligible in many circumstances, under weightless conditions in space, or example, such reaction forces must be carefully compensated for or the weightless individual attempting to mate or unmate a connector will find that the forces being applied to the connector do not effect opening or closing of the connector, but produce unintended results.
There are other circumstances in which spatial constraints make it difficult to use both hands in actuating a connector, and, therefore, make it advisble to have means as a part of the connector enabling one-hand connector opening and closing.
A well received electrical connector and one to which the primary advantages of the present invention are especially applicable is that disclosed in U.S. Letters Pat. No. 4,183,605, Electrical Connector With Arcuate Detent Means by Hal Arneson assigned to the same assignee. The patented connector includes a plug and receptacle joinable together by a rotatable locking ring carried on the plug, which has parts thereof that are anchored behind keys on the receptacle for pulling the two connector parts together during mating or separating the same during unmating.